Nursery Visits...

Monday and Tuesday this week Alfie, hubby and I have been to check out a couple of nursery’s for when I return to work next year.  I go back to work 9^th January 2012 so we needed to start our search early just in case places were limited or we didn’t like any.  Both nurseries we have been to are private run as opposed to the sure start government run ones.  No particular reason for this, we just don’t like the sure start nursery near us that’s all.  Rather than advertise the names of the nurseries they will be referred to as B & C.

Monday we went to visit nursery C.  As soon as I walked in and met the manager I instantly felt welcomed.  We were shown inside the “baby” room and talked through how they operate on a daily basis…3 babies to 1 carer ratio etc.  Nappies are provided which is great.  We were also given a tour of the rest of the nursery…toddler rooms and pre-school rooms.  The outside play area was small but for the amount of children it was certainly big enough.  They also take children out on walks etc. with pre gained permission from parents obviously.  All meals and snacks given to all children are healthy and babies who are bottle fed – formula or EBM (expressed breast milk) need to provide the bottles with milk every day.  Nursery C is flexible on times, ideally located and cost affordable.  We left the nursery feeling very positive and like we had already made our minds up…

Tuesday we visited nursery B.  We were shown round by the supervisor of the 0-3 room who was out of breath from playing with the older toddlers.  We went into the 0-3 room which was separated into sections…the bottom was for babies and on days there weren’t any babies in their care it was used for quiet time and stories so that the older children understood it was a “quiet area”.  There was a separate room with cots for nap times and babies are assigned a cot for the day.  Toddlers that nap after lunch had their beds changed immediately whilst babies had theirs changed at the end of the day.  Nappies were also provided at this nursery.  We were blown away by the outside playground… a fenced off area was specifically designed for babies not yet walking.  There was growing area, a gazebo for rainy day story time.  The nursery likes to get the children out at least twice a day, even in rain or snow which is pretty good.  Like nursery C, nursery B is flexible on times, ideally located and cost affordable.  We left this nursery feeling positive but stuck for choice…

We went straight to my MIL’s to visit before she heads off on holiday this weekend so we had plenty to think about over our many brews.  We ran over a bolt on the way there and burst our drivers side rear tyre but that’s another story!!!  While hubby was changing the tyre I was busy talking to MIL, feeding Alfie and contemplating our nursery visits.  On the way home hubby and I talked over the choices and what we liked about the nurseries.  In fact, there wasn’t anything we didn’t like about them.  They were both equally as good and the difference in cost was very slight, not enough to make me choose one over the other.  When putting the most precious thing in your life in someone else’s hands for a few hours, cost means nothing.  We discussed it over dinner but still there wasn’t a clear winner.  We preferred the playground of nursery B but the location was slightly better at nursery C – for me to get to if hubby was working (I can’t drive).

This morning a decision has been made!!!  We have chosen nursery B.  The main three reasons are the location actually is better than nursery C, the playground was better and a very close family friend works there.  The last reason wasn’t brought into consideration at first because at the end of the day Alfie may not even be assigned her as his play worker.  We also like nursery C because it works on a “password” collection… when collecting your child you MUST provide a password if you don’t know it under no circumstances will the child be allowed to leave the premises.  I liked the fact that Alfie will get to integrate with babies AND toddlers as the room is for 0-3years.  In nursery C, babies are with babies and at 1 they move up and so on… I liked the separate napping room which is monitored at all times.  The nursery also takes children out on trips.  Nursery C was definitely a contender but I think the garden in nursery B swung it slightly for us.

At the start of October I’ll give the nursery a call and arrange to go back to hand in the forms and the deposit to secure Alfie’s place from January 9^th 2012.  In an ideal world, I’d like to stay at home with him but if I want to give him everything he wants and needs and a few things besides then the extra income can’t hurt.  Plus, if hubby ever decides to change his mind about the second baby the money will come in handy…